Lagrotech Seed Company Ltd.
Lagrotech Seed Company Ltd.
P.O. Box 1244
Kisumu
Kenya

E-mail: lagrotech@lagrotech.org  /  onim@lagrotech.org
Tel: +254 57 41440
Cell: +254-(0)722-739583
Fax: +254 57 43063
Web: 

Source: Africancrops.net
http://www.africancrops.net/abstracts/seed-systems/mito.htm

Maize breeding program at Lagrotech Seed Company
by J.O. Mito, M.J.F. Onim

The maize breeding program at Lagrotech Seed Company of Kisumu, Kenya, aims to develop adaptable, high-yielding varieties with special attributes. The program began when Lagrotech was registered as a seed company in 2000, and it is conducted by its Department of Research and Product Development. The company’s breeding program focuses on problem solving. The most important problems are low yields, unreliable rainfall patterns, diseases such as maize streak virus, pests such as stalk borer, weeds (particularly Striga), and poor plant attributes such as lodging. Lagrotech started with a prolific maize open-pollinated variety (OPV) called Maseno Double Cobber that was developed in the 1990s. This is a medium-altitude variety that also does well in higher altitudes and is tolerant to drought conditions in lower altitudes. It doubles the number of cobs and is suitable for roasting as it is sweet. The breeding program has realized other products such as Lagrotech Early, also an OPV, with a special attribute of earliness. It matures in 85–105 days depending on environmental conditions; it is flinty and yields 3.5–4 t ha–1. The company’s strategy has now shifted towards producing hybrids, achieving more than 30, of which 3 have been recommended for pre-release by the National Performance Trial (NPT) Committee. Three more varieties have been entered for the national trials, making 6 Lagrotech hybrids now undergoing NPT. The 3 varieties recommended for pre-release are LH 1. LH 2 and LH 3, bred for medium rainfall regions. They averagely yield 7 t ha–1 and are relatively shorter with mean heights of 240–250 cm. Our experiments have shown that they also do well in higher altitudes with higher rainfall. In conducting this program, Lagrotech collaborates (through germplasm exchange) with different organizations such as the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI). Some success has been observed through this program; for instance, we have increased the tolerance level of our hybrids to maize streak virus. Whenever there is a severe attack of streak, the tolerant LH series is only mildly attacked. Experiments conducted in maize streak virus hotspots in the short rains of 2003 revealed that only about 30% of the plants showed the symptoms as compared with the commercial checks with incidence of 40 to 52%. With selection and selfing, Lagrotech is developing inbred lines that are tolerant to Striga. So far we have 15 promising lines that seem to support a fewer number of Striga plants than the control KSTP, a commercial Striga-tolerant variety.


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